Morning Brief: Longroad’s $320 million Texas PV project, Montana utility cannot discriminate against solar
Also in the brief: The U.S. Energy Storage Association aims to have 100 GW of new energy storage deployed in the U.S. by the end of this decade, also — thousands allowed to bypass environmental rules in pandemic.
Software could have prevented California’s rolling blackouts
Load flexibility software does what utilities and grid operators have been begging and pleading for homeowners to do manually.
For lower-cost Southeast power, double the solar and add wholesale power trading
A lower-cost grid would reach 22% renewable generation in 2040, compared to the 5% currently planned by Southeastern utilities, says a study from Energy Innovation and Vibrant Clean Energy. Wholesale power trading through an independent system operator would also help reduce costs.
Morning Brief: 5 GW of solar coming to Africa, the pressing need for panel recycling
Also in the brief: Pennsylvania has its first project using Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy financing, Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana has signed two executive orders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance coastal resilience and more.
Twitter predicts the US Department of Energy Secretary in a Joe Biden administration
If Biden wins and if Twitter is accurate, the next DOE secretary will be…
Lawsuit challenges TVA’s anti-solar “never-ending contracts” with its utility customers
The utilities that buy power from TVA, and the 10 million people they serve, will be limited in accessing low-cost solar power unless a federal court invalidates what a lawsuit calls TVA’s “never-ending contracts.” Three citizens’ groups brought the lawsuit, claiming TVA violated a federal environmental law.
Morning Brief: PV plant providing grid ancillary services in Chile, Capital Dynamics to develop nine batteries
Also in the brief: Global Energy Generation’ proposed 4,500-acre Mammoth Solar project in Pulaski County, Indiana, may have a role to play in Winamac’s revitalization efforts, Dominion Energy acquired a solar power project in Orange County, the laws that prevent carbon cutting and more.
Money Talks: California residents earn big bucks for easing grid strain
As California’s energy crisis rages, one company has been paying customers handsomely to to power down in times of peak strain on the grid.
How standards can ensure battery safety
There’s no understating the importance of maintaining a safe battery system, and that maintenance will become only more important as battery adoption grows exponentially in the coming years. Fortunately, new standards are being developed alongside existing protocol to make safety management uniform and manageable.
Adding long-duration storage to the gas fleet lets the grid absorb more solar and avoid brownouts
Bill Conlon, founder of Pintail Power, believes hybridizing the existing gas turbine fleet with long-duration molten salt storage can help balance today’s complex grid and absorb more now-curtailed solar.
